The Other Princess

[Late Night — Student Council, Kuoh]

"Would you like some coffee or tea?"

"Water works." My throat was parched, but I didn't even feel like drinking anything.

I sat tired on the couch, still contemplating what I had seen and done.

Still confused.

"You did well."

Surprisingly, the girl picked up on my emotions.

"Not just anyone who awakens their powers can kill two Fallens while protecting a bystander." She sat opposite me, sitting upright.

"Was killing them justified?"

"If you hadn't killed them, they would have killed both of you and then gone on to kill a dozen more. What you did was commendable." She reassured me, "You saved many innocent lives."

Maybe I did.

"How are they?" I asked, eyes still on the floor.

"They will be fine." Sona reassured me. "Magic heals faster than any medicine."

Her gaze turned to me. "You have a few cuts too. You should get them treated."

That made me look at my arm, realizing there were a few scrapes. 

Maybe from the deflected magic.

"It's fine," I said, too tired to care about it. "It doesn't hurt."

We stood in silence for a long while. She was too careful with her questions, and I was too exhausted to ask any.

But I noticed a few things. My tiredness made me pay closer attention to my surroundings.

The place was far more organized than Rias's club room. It had many books, perfectly arranged by size and color, and the lighting was dimmer but calmer.

"Water lilies," I mumbled, and she looked at me.

"I love their scent," she said. "It reminds me that you don't have to be big or the prettiest to stand out."

It was calming.

"Rias wanted you to join her peerage," she mentioned, turning her head slowly towards the doorway. "And you can put the tea on the table, Momo."

"Yeah, she asked me to." I saw the white-haired girl place the teacup on the table while handing me the glass of water. "Thank you."

"And you rejected her?"

It was a big deal, wasn't it?

Peerages?

"I did." I finally relieved my throat, pouring the cold water down.

"Why?" She appeared curious, just like Rias did when I rejected her.

I had thought about it a lot back then.

I found many benefits and issues with becoming a devil. 

But after some time, I realized that none of those reasons were why I rejected her offer.

"Because I'm scared of losing my humanity."

'Always be a good human, Reo.' His words echoed in my mind once again.

And maybe that was why I rejected her.

"I wouldn't know," she said with a rare smile. "I don't know much about being human. But I can understand that changing everything about oneself can be scary, even terrifying."

"So, I just decided to be a friend—helping whenever I can, but not necessarily becoming a devil." I took a good look at her.

She was very different from Rias.

Not a striking beauty like Rias or Akeno, not a cold personality like Koneko, and not desperate like them to have someone follow her.

She was pretty.

Not the prettiest, but pretty enough that you felt relaxed looking at her.

Approachable.

"I don't know much about you," she said. "At first, I was confused why Rias chose to pursue you instead of Issei. None of us could figure it out. To us, you looked like a normal human."

Issei.

They wanted to pursue Issei?

"Why Issei?"

"We suspect he has a Sacred Gear." She answered, looking at the teacup. "We don't know if it's a powerful one, but it emits enough presence to indicate it's not a weak Gear. That's why Rias first wanted to have Issei on her side and awaken his Gear."

She slowly turned her head to the side. "But he still hasn't awakened it. And by then, I heard Rias decided to pursue you to join her peerage."

"And you were confused about it since I don't emit anything like Issei."

That's why Vali was interested in Issei.

But I kept it to myself.

"However," she straightened her posture, looking at me with a much more relaxed expression. "Seeing that you took down two Fallens and even managed to have a conversation with the White Dragon Emperor instead of fighting him…" Her smile felt genuine. "I can understand why Rias was interested in you."

She didn't know about my magic; I hadn't told her about it, and it seemed that neither had Rias.

"Thank you for not causing trouble and helping instead." She took a deep breath. "And I say this both as Sona Sitri of the House of Sitri and as Sona Shitori of the Student Council."

I was the best student but didn't cause trouble. If anything, I helped the council from time to time.

Didn't I?

This realization made me smile back at her. "I just do what I feel is right."

"And that sense is always in the right place." She looked at me. "So, thank you."

This time, I didn't twist my words.

"You're welcome."

And that's all we talked about before sitting in silence—her sipping her tea and me enjoying the sweet scent of the water lilies.

I don't know how long I stayed there, calming my body and mind. The place felt therapeutic.

Finally, I decided to check on Rias.

"Is it alright if I go and see Rias and the others?"

Sona thought about it but gave a positive answer.

"As long as you're not too tired, you may," she said. "But before you go, I have two suggestions."

"Oh?"

She stood up, trying to match my pace.

"If you ever decide to join a peerage—maybe not now, but in the future—I want you to know that we'd be happy to have you with us. It's fine if you join Rias, but I want you to know that our peerage is an option too." She wasn't pushy, just making a suggestion. "We'll match whatever Rias promised, and if possible, we'll add more to it."

This made me give her a genuine smile. "I'll keep that in mind."

"I can't match Rias's beauty, but if it's anything else, I'll try my best."

It was a joke, but it made me reply.

"You're pretty enough." I reassured her. "Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

She didn't show it on her face, but I could sense she was much more comfortable around me.

"Thank you for those words," she said. "And I guess I was right. You would make a great addition to the student council."

"Pardon?" That came out of the blue.

"I know you're surprised, and you don't have to decide now. Your mind is too occupied to think about it right now." She crossed her arms, looking straight into my eyes. "It's just a suggestion, and if you're comfortable, we'd like to have you join our council. You're more than capable."

"I…"

This was an offer I didn't expect.

"As I said, you can take your time."

"Thank you." From not knowing much about her to having a very positive image of her. "I'll think about it."

"That's enough for me." She nodded, satisfied with my answer. "You may go and check on Rias now. And if you need anything, you can always come to the student council. We're here to help."

"I'll keep that in mind."

I think… I like her.

She is a nice person.

…

…

[Early Morning — Occult Research Club]

{Rias Gremory}

I felt myself growing tired, my breath quickening and my temperature rising.

I was stuck in a nightmare.

I couldn't escape it. I couldn't erase the face of the man from that nightmare.

I wanted out; I wanted to escape this nightmare.

I felt my body jerking. I knew I had to break free from this horrifying dream.

The man's face, with a yellowish flame burning behind him and the multiple women he mistreated, plagued my mind.

No.

I cannot.

I have to get out of here.

Please, someone help me escape this nightmare.

Please… Please get me out.

The fire around me felt hotter, the flames growing brighter—terrifying, transforming into a bird.

No, a phoenix.

Please…

Please let me out.

"—as"

I don't want to stay here.

"—ias!"

It's scary!

"Rias!"

Please—

"RIAS!"

"Huh!"

"Rias, it's just a dream—a nightmare?"

"A dream?" I mumbled, my ears numb and my body sweaty.

"Yes," the voice was familiar. "It was just a bad dream. You are awake now."

That voice…

It was Reo.

Reo!

"You are safe!"

Without being aware of my surroundings or thinking about anything, I wrapped my arms around the boy.

Holding him tighter than I had ever held anyone.

Happy to be awake.

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